Saint Patrick's Journey

Quilts

The collection of patchwork and quilted bedcovers at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra, represents over 200 years of a textile technique rooted firmly in the desire to provide functional, yet decorative textiles for domestic use.

The earliest quilt in the collection dates from 1790 and the most recent example from the early 1990s. A selection of quilts from across the nine counties of Ulster is exhibited on a daily basis in the open –air museum in the context in which they would have been made and used. These can be seen, in the exhibit buildings during any normal museum visit.

A mosaic-pieced patchwork bedcover, pieced in the pattern known as ‘Irish Chain’.

Stitched of Turkey red and white cotton, this pattern was among the most common employed by quilters in Ulster.

Made by Agnes Annie Smyth, of Upper Buckna, prior to her marriage in the late nineteenth century, the bedcover has been stitched to its cotton backing using the ‘wave’ quilting pattern (a series of chevron lines in running stitch) so beloved of local quilt-makers.

This is one of the many quilts produced by Lydia Davis Wilburn, Great-Grandmother of Doug Chapman of Athens, Alabama. The quilts in the two photos on this site were made between 1906 and 1945. Lydia died in her front porch swing in Knoxville, Alabama in 1945.

This photograph was sent to us by Doug Chapman from Athens, Alabama. Doug is descended from two Ulster Scots, James McMaster born in Ballymoney in the mid-1700’s and David Campbell born in Co. Antrim in 1759. Both fought the British in the Revolutionary War. The quilting tradition was once strong in Doug’s family and this quilt was made by his Great-Grandmother.

This little cot quilt was machine pieced and quilted from ladies’ blouse and dress fabrics from the late 19th century. These materials are known as ‘mill fabrics’ because of the milled rollers from which they were printed.

At the time there would have been factories in Belfast for cotton-printing, stitching, shirt-making and blouse-making.

This quilt was possibly made by a dress-maker as it is pieced from several colour-ways of the same printed fabric.

This is an appliquéd bedcover designed in a pattern peculiar to Ulster known as ‘Heart and Dove’ or ‘Heart and Spade’. It has been both hand and machine-stitched of cotton fabrics. A lot of these ‘turkey red’ fabrics were imported into Ulster from mills in Scotland that dyed and printed the fabric. This one was made at the end of the 19th century when sewing machines were in common use - and has been entirely machine-quilted.

This quilt was made by Mary-Anne McKelvey who lived near Ballynahinch - and it’s believed that she made it just before her marriage to Mr Robert McCalla in the mid-1870s (possibly 1876).

It is made from cotton dress fabrics, appliquéd and also hand-pieced, and it is probable that Mary-Anne made use of a quilting frame. These frames were used to finish off quilts - and were particularly popular at quilting parties when a young girl would announce her engagement by asking friends to join in with finishing off a quilt.

A mosaic-pieced patchwork bedcover, hand sewn entirely from scraps of British Army uniform of the mid-nineteenth century.

Brought to a family in Carnlough, Co Antrim by a itinerant labourer in the late nineteenth century. The labourer left the quilt with the family when he moved on and may or may not have been the maker of the quilt.

Such quilts were made in the last half of the nineteenth century by soldiers, particularly those for whom the craft work offered therapy during recuperation from injury sustained in active service.

An appliquéd quilt made by Margaret Dacre of Mountmellick in 1827, prior to her marriage to Robert Ball, and subsequent move to Dublin.

The bedcover is elaborately stitched and uses some of the finest printed cotton chintz furnishing fabrics of the time.

It was common practice during the nineteenth century and into the mid-twentieth for young women to make special quilts for their ‘bottom drawer’ in preparation for marriage, often with the assistance of friends and family.

The quilt was hand-sewn by Annie, with each fabric piece tacked over a paper template for accuracy in construction.

Annie was a member of the Moravian community based at Gracefield, County Londonderry - and as a young girl received training in fine white embroidery, at one stage embroidering shirts for the Royal family. By 1900 she and her family had moved to Belfast, where it is believed that the quilt was made.

Originally from Bryansford in the Mournes area, Elizabeth (Drennan) was trained in embroidery skills as a young woman. After her marriage and subsequent move to Belfast in the 1920s, Elizabeth earned a living by undertaking dressmaking in her own home, near the Ormeau Road.

This is one of many quilts made by Mrs Magill between 1930 and the late 1970s.

This distinctive pieced and appliquéd quilt is believed to have been made at Rathfriland around 1870.

The patchwork pattern is a stylised one known as ‘Flock of Geese’ or ‘Wild Goose Chase’ with a central panel of ‘Windmill Blades’. The printed cotton fabrics used in the construction of the quilt are all of the type used for mourning dress (half-mourning) at the time.

A mosaic-pieced patchwork bedcover, pieced in the pattern known as ‘Irish Chain’.

Stitched of Turkey red and white cotton, this pattern was among the most common employed by quilters in Ulster.

Made by Agnes Annie Smyth, of Upper Buckna, prior to her marriage in the late nineteenth century, the bedcover has been stitched to its cotton backing using the ‘wave’ quilting pattern (a series of chevron lines in running stitch) so beloved of local quilt-makers.